Stone Circle
by Revriley
Summary: Merlin saves Uther and Arthur from a horrible fate that becomes his own. Full summary inside. CHAPTER 1 REVISED.
1. Chapter 1

Stone Circle

**Summary: **Merlin saves Uther and Arthur from a horrible fate that becomes his own. Racing against the clock, Arthur, Morgana, Gwen, and Gaius each try to save the loyal manservant, going to lengths that shock not only the people of Camelot, but themselves. Can they save Merlin? Or will he become a dead immortal...?

**Disclaimer:** I own it not.

No, this is not slash.

This story is set before the episode Sweet Dreams, but after Freya died.

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Chapter One

Camelot had been busy these past few weeks. Each year, to celebrate the coming of fall, and harvest, the Autumn Festivities were held—which meant great preparation for peasants and nobility alike. The knights prepared for the jousting tournaments, while the chefs of the castle prepared for the upcoming feasting. Peasants washed their clothes more frequently, and talked excitedly about the different activities that would be held. Constant hammering was heard from the blacksmiths' homes, while the smell of baking wafted out of the huts. Men whittled toys for the children, which they would give out each evening of the Festivities. Women sewed bright garments—a scarf, or sash, to be worn during the merriment. To be sure, the weeks before the Festivities were filled with excitement, and _work_.

Especially for the servants. Constantly running through the falls with ingredients for the cooks, laundry for their masters, food for the hounds, tools, and other supplies, they barely had a moment of rest. Well...Gwen might be the exception. At least, this was what Merlin thought, for as he ran down the hall to polish Arthur's armor again, he noticed her chatting happily with Morgana. That was all she did, besides do what Morgana told her too. Which was very little.

Ah—polishing Arthur's armor. Polishing Arthur's sword. Sharpening Arthur's sword. Polishing Arthur's lance. Polishing Arthur's horse's armor. Weaponry and armor was becoming very important to the Prince, as he wanted to look good during the tournaments. Of course, that wasn't the only thing Merlin did. He also cleaned Arthur's room, fixed Arthur's boots, mucked Arthur's horses' stables, fed Arthur's hounds, delivered Arthur's meals...it was always Arthur. What about himself? Merlin? Didn't _he _get to prepare for the Festivities?

Handing the now clean armor to Arthur, Merlin considered asking Arthur for some time off, but he knew that was impossible. The other servants weren't getting any either.

Arthur inspected the armor with a critical eye. "Next time, be faster Merlin. I might be late to practice because of you."

Merlin rolled his eyes. Arthur wasn't due there for another fifteen minutes. Not that it mattered whether he was late or not-Arthur could be late for whatever he felt like as long as it wasn't important.

Arthur continued to talk. "On the West Tower, the roof collapsed. Although no one was hurt, there's a shortage of men who are needed to rebuild the roof. I'm assigning you to the task."

Merlin groaned. The West Tower was the tallest of the towers, and the roof was probably really hard to stand on.

"Fine. Oh, and, you're welcome. _Arthur._" He smirked, walking away as Arthur called after him, "That's Prince to you!"

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Merlin hammered another shingle onto the roof, desperately hoping that he wouldn't slide off the narrow roof, which actually was really hard to not fall from. Since the servants were considered, by some, to have lower status then of peasants, he was working with four others like him—overworked, sleep-withdrawn, and food-withdrawn servants, all who had no idea what they were doing.

"Where are the builders? You know, the ones who have trained their whole life to do this?" He asked Matt, a friend of his who'd been pulled from his duties as a kitchen sculley to help the construction.

Matt brushed some dirt off his arm. "I think they're just spread really thin right now. There's renovations being done in parts of the castle, they're adding more stables, that sort of thing. Though," he said, winking, "_I_ think some of them are just shirking their duties."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Again? Somebody ought to cut their pay and raise ours. Wait...we don't have any! At least, I don't."

Matt laughed. "So? You're the prince's manservant. That's an honor in itself. I don't know many people who have the opportunity to nick his majesty's leftovers and listen in on court proceedings!"

Merlin shook his head as he hammered a shingle onto the roof. "The court," he grumbled, "is one of the most boring places in existence. If you thi-_huh?!_"

Merlin's breath hitched as his foot suddenly slipped. He cried out, dropping his mallet onto the roof, grasping at shingles in panic as he slid down to the edge. Of course, he could save himself with magic, but Matt and the other three servants would see. Matt's eyes widened, and he reached out a hand in alarm as Merlin's other foot lost its hold. There was a small ledge encircling the roof, about a hand wide, and Merlin found himself grasping it with both hands, the rest of him dangling over thin air.

Another builder and friend, Ben, inched closer, trying to see if he could help lift Merlin up.

The two others seemed uncertain as to what to do. The more limber of the two, Owen, climbed higher, perhaps hoping Merlin could grab onto his leg, and from there pull him up with the help of the others.

"Should I go get help?" Shawne called anxiously from where he crouched.

Ben shook his head doubtfully. "I doubt it'd do us any good. There isn't enough room up here for more men, and I don't see any other way others could help."

"Besides," Owen said bitterly. "Who's going to care about a servant, anyway?" He meant no offense, as the others knew. They all had known at least one servant that had died. The servant was usually buried by immediate family, and if they had no family, then a friend.

Merlin nodded. "Maybe...maybe Ben could take my left arm, and Matt could take my right..." He said slowly. "And they could lift me up until at least my waist was above the 'ledge', and then-"

He hissed as his swinging legs brushed against something, and he distinctly heard the cloth covering his left leg rip. "What's wrong?" Ben asked. "I think there must be an old nail down there, although why there would be a nail amongst stone, I don't know. I cut my leg on it—hopefully it wasn't rusty."

Merlin then realized that if he could actually brush against something on the wall, then the wall was closer to him then he'd originally thought. "I don't think the nail could support my weight for very long...but maybe if I got a foot on it, I could hoist myself up enough for you to help more..."

"What if you lowered him down?" Shawne suggested, a thoughtful look on his face.

Matt looked at him in astonishment. "What?"

"Well...there were windows on our way up here...maybe Merlin could swing through one of them." Shawne looked down, and then up again—he wasn't too fond of heights. "I think the last window we saw wasn't that far down..."

"That's ridiculous! Merlin could die if we did that. What if the window was farther than you thought?" Ben gasped. Shawne sighed.

"I only thought that-"

"It's a great idea!" Merlin interrupted. "Besides, I don't want you risking your lives for me." Owen grinned.

"What? Why would we do that? It's _our_ lives we're risking. Let the prince's manservant die, we die. Of course we're going to save you."

Merlin laughed, then frowned, as his grip slipped a little. Benn and Matt each immediately grabbed an arm, just as Merlin let go of the ledge.

"Thanks," He gasped, wincing as his leg throbbed from the nail. "Lower me down, will you?"

Benn and Matt nodded gravely, and while Shawne and Owen helped keep _them_ from falling off, they gingerly leaned over and lowered Merlin down. Merlin at first didn't see a window, and inwardly panicked. But then he saw a small one—about the size of his waist, just below his knees. He swallowed.

"Is—is it possible for you to swing me a bit closer?" He called, trying in vain to reach the window, which was unfortunately not directly in front of him. It was off to the side.

"We'll try." Ben and Matt said together. Merlin felt himself begin to sway, gently. The ledge was now meeting his wrists, and with each swing the edge hit his lower arms rather hard, which slowed down his momentum a bit.

"You'd better hurry up. I think you're slipping." He heard Owen complain to presumably Ben, whose legs he was holding.

Ben's reply was strained. "I think I can tell when I'm slipping or not." He paused. "And yes, I'm slipping."

Merlin realized that he'd better fling himself over to the window _now_, otherwise there would be more then one servant to clean up in the courtyard down below. Bracing himself, he gritted his teeth...and let go of his friends' hands.

Merlin dove through the window, crashing onto the stairs and hitting his head. Then, true to form, he skidded down several more steps before banging into something metallic. Looking up, he saw a blurry Arthur glaring at him, dressed in armor.

"_Merlin_! What _are_ you _doing_?" Arthur exclaimed, hoisting him up by his collar. "...Did you jump through a window? Why are you bleeding?"

Merlin grinned weakly, "I was..."

"You know what? It doesn't matter. Just...are you alright?"

"I think so," Merlin shakily stood as a few droplets of blood dripped down his right cheek.

Arthur frowned. "Look, I know we're short of men right now, but if you're hurt it would probably be better for you to go rest."

Oh, that was tempting. All Merlin wanted to do was to go take a nap, but he didn't want to just abandon his friends to a terrible fate.

"Okay," Arthur said slowly, when Merlin didn't respond, "look, we'll compromise. Just stay here and hand whatever the other servants need to them when they ask for it through the hole in the ceiling. No acrobatics or anything. Alright?"

Merlin grinned weakly in response.

"Right! Good." Arthur fumbled a bit with his right gauntlet. "That's settled then."

They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment. Arthur huffed and started down the stairs, muttering something about idiots and 'could've killed himself'.

With that, Merlin made his way up the stairs for a well-deserved rest.

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Merlin tripped over the loose stone in the courtyard for the fourth time that day, carrying several herbs that Gaius had asked him to collect from the forest. Although this courtyard was perhaps the most frequented by people, it seemed oddly deserted today. Nearby, several servants were cleaning up a huge mess of spilled food in the corner opposite to Merlin.

"What happened?" Merlin shouted, making his way towards them.

One of the servants looked up. "You didn't hear? Lam, he was leading a mule with food from his cousin's farm, and the mule—both lame _and_ old, fell over a stone or the like, and, well, here we are, then."

Merlin didn't know whether to laugh or groan. Lam was a young servant in the castle, and well-meaning, though he was, often was the cause of many unintentional mishaps.

"Was Lam in trouble?"

The servant shrugged. "I'm not sure, but Master Oksby seemed right angry when I saw him earlier today." Oksby—the bane of every new servant's existence, although, technically speaking, Oksby was a servant himself.

Merlin sighed, and thanked the servant as he bent down to pick up some herbs he had dropped.

"...yes, I am certain..."

"...Sir Demetri is overseeing it..."

"...she is very excited..."

Hullo. Was that the voices of Uther and Arthur? Merlin quickly pretended to be doing something useful, mumbling the names of the herbs under his breath to make it seem as if he were making sure he had all of them.

Arthur and his father strode out into the courtyard, confidence punctuating every step they took. Although the two royals were busy, it seemed to Merlin that they were busy with giving orders, and not work. In fact, giving orders was all Merlin saw them do, except he frequently saw Arthur training with the other knights...but that wasn't work, was it?

Losing interest, Merlin idly looked around the courtyard...and froze. There, in the middle of the courtyard—a ring of moss, about the size of a large wagon wheel. But how? Merlin remembered this—a Stone Circle. He had come across it in his book of magic. Turning to Uther and Arthur, he realized in horror that they were heading straight for it.

Dropping the herbs, he yelled at them, "Stop!" They were only a couple of feet away from the circle, and he raced towards them as Arthur looked at him in bewilderment. _No_... They were about to step on the circle, couldn't he run faster then this? Merlin ran, and lunged at the two, crashing into them and causing them to fall to the ground, well away from the circle.

It was a pity Merlin had not thought of magic. If he had, perhaps what followed would not have happened. For as he stood, gasping for breath, he felt the dormant magic from the circle surge. He looked down at his feet, stuttering words that would not form. He had saved Uther and Arthur. But he had not saved himself.

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I know this may seem kind of slow at first, but from now on, there will be more action and the like. Questions like _why haven't other people stepped in the circle before_, and _what's a stone circle anyway? _And _Will there be romance_? Are all answered in the next chapter, but if you have other questions, feel free to ask them in a review, and I will answer! (As a PM, or in the next chapter—expect the latter)

This is my first Merlin story, so advice is appreciated! So are flames, which I welcome gladly.


	2. Chapter 2

Stone Circle

**Summary: **Merlin saves Uther and Arthur from a horrible fate that becomes his own. Racing against the clock, Arthur, Morgana, Gwen, and Gaius each try to save the loyal manservant, going to lengths that shock not only the people of Camelot, but themselves. Can they save Merlin? Or will he become a dead immortal...?

**Disclaimer: **I own it not.

No, this is not boy/boy or girl/girl. It may have some girl/boy in it, but I'm mainly focusing on suspense, angst, drama, and the like in this story.

This story is set before the episode Sweet Dreams, but after Freya died.

----Oh, I forgot to mention a couple of things in the last chapter. I made the Autumn Festivities up, I don't know whether they had that sort of thing back then or not. I also don't know whether there was a West Tower or not. The point of view may vary per chapter, or sometimes in a chapter.

**----Regarding some reviews about Arthur's coldness, and the tower scene: Yes, Arthur was cold for a reason—he's constantly worrying about whether his equipment is up to par, when his next training session is, and hoping that what he does is meeting his father's expectations. Yes, he does worry about Merlin, but the concern about his manservant came later. Don't worry, you and I will be seeing plenty of that later on. ****The Tower Scene****: Arthur sent Merlin back up because a) he didn't really register the blood, and b) Arthur did worry, but he had no time to ask about it, and c) They needed Merlin working, injured or not. Anway, yes, I've been playing around with the Tower Scene idea. I understand that a couple of people don't see the point of it—I promise, I've got one! [I think]. I have come up with an excuse—I mean, a reason, for the scene. Does anyone remember the nail? [If that idea doesn't work out, we're just going to go with Arthur and Merlin having a friendship moment, okay? (admittedly, there was going to be a lot of those moments already, but we are going to deal. Right? Right? Guys?)] **

For those of you who liked Merlin's friends in the tower scene, you shall see more of them, I promise! And if you didn't like them...I do...and I'm bringing them in anyway.

Thanks for all the reviews (and advice), I appreciate it! [I was actually stunned when I got 12 reviews for the 1st chapter. That's a personal record]

Apologies for the lateness. School projects take way too long to finish.

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Chapter Two

**(Arthur Third Person POV)**

Arthur was thrown to the ground by, surprisingly, the Force of Merlin, which had managed to knock both Arthur's father down and himself. But the shock could come later—what was his manservant trying to do? Get himself punished? Arthur grunted as he stood up, his father did the same moments after, with a furious expression on his face.

"Merlin, what on earth are you doing? I can't afford putting a servant in the stocks--" He stopped mid-tirade, gaping at his manservant.

Merlin stood in a perfect circle of moss, unmoving, his eyes wide, and frightened, looking not at Arthur but at his feet. Arthur, following his manservant's gaze, looked too—and gasped. Tendrils of stone were quickly weaving themselves around Merlin's feet, and as soon as they were covered completely, the stone solidified into the shape of Merlin's ragged shoes, encasing the real shoes and feet within. Arthur tore away from the sight long enough to look at his father, whose previous anger seemed to vanish as he, too stared at Merlin's feet.

"M...Ma...Magic...." His father stuttered slowly. Arthur looked back at Merlin, who raised his head.

"Merlin—what is this? How did you know that...that would happen?" Arthur asked slowly.

Merlin seemed to hesitate, wringing his hands. "I...well...look! Doesn't a perfectly shaped ring of moss seem...unusual to you?"

"He has a point..." Uther murmured, still in shock. Arthur, however, was suspicious. Merlin wasn't the most observant of men. And a busy Merlin tended to notice even littler then usual. Numbly, he asked,

"But how did you even know it was there? Weren't you too busy doing your job to take the _time_ to examine the ground?" Merlin tilted his head to a corner of the courtyard, where strewn plants lay forgotten near a column.

"I...I was returning from the forest—Gaius asked me to collect herbs for him, and I stopped, you know, to check and make sure I hadn't dropped or forgotten any. I asked the other servants, over there, why there was food on the ground, and...well...I noticed the circle-moss-thing when I was asking them..." Arthur listened to Merlin ramble absentmindedly, for he was beginning to feel a faint sense of panic. Since when did he panic about his manservant?

"But we can fix this, right?" He asked casually. "Your feet can't be real stone—that's impossible. So just step out of the circle." Merlin's lack of response and movement unnerved him. "I order you to step out of the circle!" His voice rose. "Just get away from there!"

"I think with magic, the impossible can become the possible." Merlin looked to Uther, as if for reassurance. Uther was nodding slowly, although he seemed to be thinking about something else. "I think that my feet, shoes and all, are stone, right down to my bone." Merlin continued. "I can't feel them at all, nor can I move them."

"But surely we can do something?" Arthur looked between his father and manservant. His father suddenly was alert.

"I will consult Gaius." Uther said confidently. "We must make sure that there are no more of these circles in Camelot—we shall send guards out to look for them."

"And myself?" Arthur asked.

Uther paused. "You could actually inform the guards that this...thing exists, or, you could stay here and do nothing. Your choice, of course."

It wasn't a choice, both Arthur and Uther knew that. Arthur quickly jogged away, telling himself that he would come back later. The servants he had noticed earlier, who had been cleaning the food spill, were now leaving, and Arthur was sure they'd be spreading the word about the moss rings soon. He slowed down only when he heard Merlin call out to his father,

"Your majesty...Gaius will be upset if I don't have these delivered, and since I am somewhat indisposed, I was wondering if you could take the herbs to Gaius for me?"

Arthur snickered in after-shock and disbelief. Only Merlin would dare say that to a royal. Spotting a couple of guards nearby, he took charge of the situation. "You two. Over here!"

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**(Uther third person POV)**

Uther, mortified, bent down, picking up the herbs carefully. He didn't exactly have 'delicate hands', and the gloves were only making the job of not crushing the flowers harder. What would people say if they saw the King carrying flowers and plants around? Picking things off the ground, like a commoner? But then, what did it matter what other people thought? He was the King, above such gossip. Besides, there was the more pressing matter of these rings of moss.

Cradling the herbs in his cape, he walked briskly down the corridor, passing a couple of giggling servant girls carrying neatly folded shirts.

"...And Anna told me that Sir Gabriel..."

"The handsome one?"

"...Yes, the handsome one, gave her a rose! A beautiful one, at that."

_What _did Sir Gabriel do? Surely he wasn't falling in love with a serving—Uther coughed abruptly, and quickened his pace to Gaius's room.

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Uther shouldered open the door, careful not to drop the herbs as he did so. Unfortunately, the door bumped a nearby table, and a flask of what he hoped wasn't important fell to the floor, shattering.

"Merlin? Is that you?" Uther smiled sheepishly as Gaius walked down the stairs. "What did you break this—sire!" Gaius dropped into a hasty bow.

"No formalities, Gaius, we've known each other far too long for that. These are for you, I think." Uther dumped the herbs on the table. Gaius looked at them in surprise.

"Why, yes—these are the exact ones I sent Merlin out for earlier..." Gaius realized that something had to be wrong, if the King himself was making a delivery. "What happened?"

"It is about your ward, Merlin." Uther shifted uncomfortably, a feeling usually unknown to him.

Gaius muttered something that Uther couldn't make out, then spoke louder. "Has he given you trouble, my lord? I shall speak to him right away—I believe he may have a mental afflict--"

"Gaius." Uther spoke firmly. "It is nothing of the sort—rather, he has given myself and my son life."

"What do you mean, sire?" Gaius asked, looking at Uther in confusion.

Uther sighed, running a hand through his thinning hair before continuing. "Gaius, your ward saved Arthur and myself from a magical trap—at least, that is what we suspect. I came here partly because I hoped you could give me information. And..." He hesitated. "And I came to give you my sympathy."

Gaius looked at him in alarm. "Is Merlin hurt?"

Uther paused again, feeling lost—as he often did when dealing with unique magical situations. Normally, when something or someone magical was discovered, or came, to Camelot, he ordered whatever or whoever it was to be destroyed, and that was the end of it. But something like this... "He is not in any physical or emotional pain...but he was caught in the same trap he rescued us from. I suppose it was something of a personal sacrifice—he sacrificed his life for ours."

"He's dead?" Gaius's voice rose, and Uther looked down to avoid the physician's fear-filled gaze.

"No...no Gaius, far from it. But, as with all magic, it is somewhat of an unusual predicament. Perhaps you know of the trap?"

"If you could describe the thing itself, sire, I might." Gaius said patiently, and Uther noted with relief that the physician seemed much calmer knowing that his ward was alive.

"Well...well...it's a—ring of moss, Gaius. That's it. It was just sitting there on the courtyard ground, and we were about to step in it. Arthur's manservant pushed us out and away from the circle, but—I don't understand really why he couldn't escape, Gaius. Perhaps he stopped for a minute, long enough for...this may sound strange, Gaius. It sounds strange to me even now, but the stone, like vines, I suppose, latched itself onto your ward's feet and, from what he tells me, turned them to stone. You might be able to learn more if you saw it yourself..."

But by now, Gaius was flipping through different books, sometimes throwing one onto a pile with a carelessness that Uther had not known was a trait of the man. Uther stood by the door, feeling useless and unimportant—a preposterous idea, but he felt it all the same. Suddenly, Gaius slammed a book down in satisfaction. "Aha! Here it is."

Uther strode over to the physician. "So what is it? Does it have a name?"

Gaius studied the page intently. "I believe its most common name is "Stone Circle."

"Explain."

"These moss rings are found only on stone, sire—I cannot tell you why—this book is only of dangerous hazards that aren't easily noticed. Each hazard is only a page long. But from what I can tell, I believe that when a person, or a part of him, is motionless within the circle for only a second—the stone within the circle becomes 'alive', if that is the correct term, and quickly turns whatever it's touching into stone. Turning the rest of the person or object into stone is slower then the initial connection. It depends on the amount of magic the circle has."

Uther leaned on the edge of a table. "What is the possibility of there being more of these circles in Camelot? Are they made by sorcery or produced naturally?"

Gaius took a while to answer. "I am not certain. The only information I have is this book..." Gaius's eyes widened, and Uther watched as he hurriedly maneuvered his way around the somewhat untidy room to a rather large chest.

"Gaius? What is it?"

Gaius took a book from the chest, blowing dust off it. "Sire, you told me to keep some books that, in the event of a dire magical situation, would be of extreme importance. This book is on purely magical traps, and has much more information then the other book."

"Does it have the answers to my questions, Gaius?" asked Uther .

Gaius opened the book carefully, turning the pages, which looked as if they would crumble at too strong a touch. "Here it is. _A Stone Circle is produced naturally and unnaturally. A natural creation of these circles is uncommon, as it requires specific environment. To be made unnaturally, the person who would make these circles would have to be a powerful sorcerer, as A Stone Circle is mostly magic. Upon finding a circle, one should remember that the circle was not necessarily made where you found it. These circles can only survive on stone, and gravitate towards large masses of it—such as a mountain, or a house. It is unlikely that there would be more than one Stone Circle in an area, because once there, a circle tends to feed off the stone around it, causing the rest of the stone to become weak and therefore useless to the other circles--" _Gaius was cut off as Uther exclaimed in alarm,

"Weak stone? Does that mean Camelot shall crumble?"

Gaius shook his head. "No, I believe it means that whatever it is about stone that these circles feed on disappears when the circle feeds on it."

Uther started to pace. "You say 'feed'. Does that mean the circles are alive?"

Gaius shook his head. "It is hard to explain, sire. The circles are not exactly alive, but--"

"Assuming that a sorcerer made a Stone Circle—why would they want to do it? To destroy Camelot, most likely, or rid it of myself or Arthur, or a person of high status."

Gaius hesitated. "If a sorcerer did create one, they might not have been doing it because of Camelot—these circles travel towards stone. The sorcerer cannot control that."

Uther waved Gaius's comment away. "We may be under attack. Arthur is alerting the guards." He paused. "...Gaius? I'd like you to come see the Stone Circle for yourself...and your ward. Now."

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**(Merlin third person POV)**

Merlin was alone. It had been pretty funny seeing Uther bend down to pick up herbs—Uther! But the humor had passed. Now he stood, with his legs already aching, in the middle of an abandoned courtyard. But the lives of Uther and Arthur were worth it. He was a hero [again], and although that may have sounded wonderful to some people—to be able to save the lives of the royals, he didn't...well...it didn't impress him that much anymore. It wasn't that he didn't want to save their lives, far from it...but...well—he had saved them so many times that it wasn't such a big deal. Just part of a normal day—in fact, it didn't even _surprise_ him anymore. It was as if he had a set schedule: Wake up, have breakfast if there was time, run a bath for Arthur, fetch Arthur's breakfast, have a witty conversation with Arthur, join Arthur's various activities such as sword practice and hunting, working on the Festival, defeat any monsters that happened to be attacking somebody or Camelot at the moment, help Gaius, go to sleep....

"Merlin!" Merlin looked up to see Shawne, Matt, Benn, and Musk race across the courtyard, the sound of their feet on the stone breaking the silence from before.

"We came as fast as we could!" Shawne gasped, putting his hands on his knees. Benn—who happening to be soaking wet—nodded in agreement.

"How did you know I was here?" Merlin asked, already knowing the answer.

Matt, panting, said, "I heard about the incident from Penny, who heard it from her cousin, who heard it from a little girl, who heard it from her dog, who heard it from the girl's brother, who heard it from their--"

"Okay, okay, I get the picture." Merlin said, holding up a hand. Then he paused. "A girl heard it from her _dog_? Who heard it from her _brother_?"

Matt nodded. "The boy had tied a note to its neck."

"Oh." The young men grew quiet, looking at Merlin's feet. Musker spoke up.

"So...you got stuck in a circle? Is it magic?"

Shawne rolled his eyes. "Of course it's magic. If it weren't, Merlin's feet wouldn't be stone, right, Merlin?" He said, turning to his friend.

"Yeah." Merlin said, his face blank. Of course it was always magic.

Again the quiet returned, and the friends looked at each other in silence, until Musker, the most talkative of them (save for Matt), spoke again.

"So who's going to--"

"Merlin!" Merlin turned his head at the calling of his name. Gaius strode across the yard, with Arthur and Uther behind him. The two royals were carrying vials and herbs, and the sight caused Merlin and his friends to laugh—just not loud enough for the king and his son to hear. "Merlin!"

"Gaius!" Merlin said half-heartedly, giving the physician a faint smile.

"Put those down beside me." Gaius ordered Arthur and Uther as he knelt down to examine Merlin's feet. Uther dropped the herbs unceremoniously on the ground, Arthur setting the glass vials down carefully. Merlin was inwardly disappointed, having hoped that Arthur would have at least dropped one vial in front of Gaius.

Merlin looked down at Gaius, who peered at the moss, then at the place where Merlin's feet fused with the ground, muttering to himself. Arthur turned to the four servants nearby. "Who're you, anyway?"

"They're my friends." Merlin cut in. "That's Shawne," He pointed to Shawne, who bowed deeply, biting his lip to keep from laughing. "That's Matt." He gestured to Matt, who raised his eyebrows. "That's Musker," Merlin looked at Musk, who struggled to keep a straight face as he nodded to Arthur and Uther, "And that's Benn." Benn made no move to explain why he was dripping wet, and grinned widely. "They're also servants here." Merlin added helpfully, noticing the royals' blank faces.

The king nodded thoughtfully. "Come, Arthur, we must decide which one of them is to be your new manservant." Arthur looked up sharply.

"But what about Merlin?"

"Well, what about him? He can't exactly serve you if he can't move." Uther replied calmly.

Merlin watched as Arthur's jaw stiffened. Uther was right—what was Arthur trying to do?

"We can't just...forget about him!" Arthur exclaimed in exasperation. "What are we going to do?"

Uther looked at his son. "You mean, 'what is Gaius going to do'? And we can hardly forget that we're going to get a new statue in the middle of a courtyard." He looked at Merlin. "Stand up straight and look like you're doing something important." He turned to Arthur. "And choose a new manservant, will you?"

"I suggest...Matt." Merlin said, his smile faltering slightly, realizing that he was going to be a piece of furniture, that birds would sit on for eternity.

"What? Me? Oh, no, sires. I'm lazy, unpredictable, and argumentative. Quite disagreeable in the morning too." Matt objected.

"Whatever happened to your longing for fur coats and purebred hounds?" Shawne asked good-naturedly. As the servants bickered as friends do, and Arthur and his father gaped in confusion, Gaius took the opportunity to ask Merlin quietly,

"Did you try using magic?"

Merlin nodded—he had tried when he was alone, but his feet had remained....well...rock solid. "Is there a cure, Gaius?"

Gaius looked troubled. "I--"

"Merlin!" Arthur called. Gaius and Merlin looked at the Prince, who gestured at Merlin's friends in frustration. "Help me out here!"

Merlin grinned. "Why don't you list your occupations?" He asked his friends, who shrugged.

"Carpenter." Shawne yawned.

"Messenger." Benn sighed.

"Cook." Matt muttered.

"Minstrel and Glazier **(1)**." Musker smiled.

Uther whispered something in Arthur's ear, and Arthur nodded. Merlin felt a slight pang that nobody was paying attention to his dilemma, but that was alright, they'd probably pay attention after Arthur chose.

"I don't have much use for a carpenter," Arthur frowned. "And I don't see the point of a messenger when any servant can deliver a message." Benn coughed uncomfortably. "And I'm sure I have no need for a glazier." "But a cook..." He looked at Matt, whose eyes widened. "Make sure you wake up extra early, understand?"

"Yes, sire." Matt muttered under his breath.

"As for you," Arthur said, turning back to Benn, "What skills do you have?"

"I can..." Benn trailed off.

"His grandma always said he had a way with plants." Shawne supplied helpfully as Benn glared at him.

"Very well. Forget everything you did as a messenger. From here on you're a gardener."

Benn mumbled something that no one could quite here, and Arthur raised a brow. "If you're not satisfied, I could make you a Gong Farmer instead." **(2) ** Benn shook his head vehemently.

"I'm perfectly fine with being a gardener, thank you very much."

Musker leaned over, and quietly snickered into Benn's ear, "At least you'll be able to order some Haywards around." **(3)**.

Merlin, feeling left out and disappointed that everyone seemed to have forgotten that he was currently being turned into a statue, spoke up.

"So! Now that that's settled, can we return to the present issue?" Everyone started, and looked slightly ashamed.

"Of course—Gaius, is there a way for this Stone Circle's actions to be reversed?" Asked Arthur hurriedly.

Gaius still looked troubled, and opened his mouth to reply, when a shout from Shawne caused them to look at the trembling servant. Shawne was pointing at Merlin's feet, stuttering.

Everyone looked down. Tendrils of stone were slowly weaving themselves around Merlin's ankles, before solidifying and turning Merlin's ankles to stone.

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Eleven pages. Whoo.

**Glazier: Glassmaker**

**Gong Farmer: Latrine pit cleaner**

**Hayward: Someone that would trim hedges**

Yeah, about the not paying attention to Merlin thing...I was trying to tone it down a bit, since there's going to be a lot of Merlin attention in the future. And Uther really wanted Arthur to find a new manservant immediately, so...

Does anyone think I should have chosen one of the other three besides Matt? Just curious. Actually, I'm kind of curious as to what you think of all four servants as well.

Yeah, this was kind of a long explanatory chapter, but I'm hoping it clears some stuff up. Anyway, I'm again really sorry about the late update, but I hope you enjoy the chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Stone Circle

**Summary: **Merlin saves Uther and Arthur from a horrible fate that becomes his own. Racing against the clock, Arthur, Morgana, Gwen, and Gaius each try to save the loyal manservant, going to lengths that shock not only the people of Camelot, but themselves. Can they save Merlin? Or will he become a dead immortal...?

**Disclaimer: **I own it not.

No, this is not boy/boy or girl/girl. It may have some girl/boy in it, but I'm mainly focusing on suspense, angst, drama, and the like in this story.

This story is set before the episode Sweet Dreams, but after Freya died.

Ten more reviews! That's twenty-two! (And that's my amazing math skills)

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Chapter Three

**(Arthur third person POV)**

"Why can't I have a sword?"

"Because I said so."

"No, because you don't want me to look heroic."

"True. Try to look as if you're tripping."

"Can't. My feet are glued in place, remember?"

"Shoot." Arthur growled in annoyance. "Then look as if you're dropping something." Merlin looked at him smugly.

"Then give me a sword. I can drop that."

It was the day after Matt had become Arthur's new manservant, Uther carried herbs to Gaius, and they all realized that while Merlin was not turning into stone very fast, he would probably be a statue by the end of the month or so. Now, about everyone Arthur and Merlin knew were arguing about what position Merlin should be in when he froze. Uther said it had to be worthy of Camelot's courtyard, and if it wasn't, they would smash the statue Merlin for scrap rock. Morgana thought that Merlin should be reading a book, while Gwen simply thought that a smile would do.

Arthur himself said that Merlin should be as he normally was, which meant being clumsy. Which was what he and Merlin were arguing about. "I'll give you a thwack on the head if you keep it up."

"Sure you will." Merlin smiled. Arthur smirked at him, before beckoning to Matt, who stood behind him with a tray of food on his plate.

"Let's see whether my new manservant's skills as a cook are justified, shall we?"

Merlin laughed, and picked up a piece of bread. Arthur raised his eyes when Merlin immediately didn't eat it. "What? Should I be warned about any tricks your friend might pull?"

"Yeah...he once slipped a hot pepper into...Arthur, can I actually eat if I'm being turned to stone?"

Arthur frowned. "I...I don't know..."

"And what if I need to go to the bathroom while waiting to be turned into stone?"

Arthur blinked, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"When my lungs turn to stone, will I still be alive?"

Arthur scowled. "Why are you asking _me_?" He snapped. "You know I don't know these things!"

Merlin smirked, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I know that you know that I know that you don't know these things, Arthur. Really."

Arthur glowered at Merlin, mumbling, "Merlin knows that I know that I know that he knows that he knows we're nothing? _I _know that _Merlin_ knows that _I know _that..."

As Arthur talked to himself, Matt came forward, frowning at Merlin. "You didn't even clean off the blood? It could become infected, Merlin!"

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "What blood? What are you-" He stopped short. Dried blood coated the left side of Merlin's face, and down below, there was a rip in his pants, revealing more. How did he not notice this earlier? "What...what happened?"

Merlin looked away. Arthur couldn't tell whether he was doing this to fight a smile or to purposely avoid his gaze. "You should know, Arthur. You were there." Arthur gazed at him blankly. "I crashed into you after I jumped through that window. At the West Tower." He tried again.

Arthur thought back. _"Merlin! What are you doing?" He exclaimed, pulling Merlin up by his collar. "...Did you jump through a window?" How could _Merlin _jump through a window? Let alone... "And why are you bleeding?"_

"How _did_ you jump through a window, anyway? ...And why?" Arthur raised an eyebrow at his former manservant, trying to mask what he felt was the beginnings of guilt. Merlin was bleeding! And he hadn't thought about it?

Merlin gave him a crooked smile. "I slipped, and fell off the roof. Matt and Ben caught me, but before they did, I cut my leg on a nail. They swung me toward the window, and I dove through it, cut my head, and you stopped me from tumbling down the rest of the stairs. Thanks, by the way."

The guilt Arthur had been trying to ignore steadily grew. "...And I sent you back up to fix the roof..."

He dimly recognized Merlin's 'concerned' face. "You did the right thing, Arthur. Besides—my head doesn't hurt as much anymore, and soon I won't even be able to feel my leg, so it doesn't mat-"

"Of course it matters!" Arthur nearly bellowed, glaring at Merlin. "I mean, why did I even have _servants _repairing the roof anyway? You all aren't qualified—I mean, the whole point of having _builders_ in our kingdom is for them to _fix_ things! And you were injured. You still are injured. And I sent you back up to do a job which you have a higher risk of dyi-"

As he was ranting, Arthur hadn't noticed Merlin mouthing _"Hit him on the back of the head" _to Matt, who looked at him strangely. Merlin repeated mouthing his instructions, and then mimed doing it. Matt looked at him dubiously, then grinned.

"-ing from, because you—you're _Merli—_ow!" Arthur spun around, his hand going for the back of his head. "Do you realize what consequ-" He stopped short. Matt was looking at him strangely from where he crouched on the ground, picking up some bread he had dropped.

"Sire! I'm sorry for dropping the bread—you startled me! Are you alright?"

"Yes..." Arthur growled, looking around for someone to blame. Behind his back, Merlin and Matt shared a grin.

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"But—that is madness, my lord!"

Yasphor looked at his slave, who was looking down as he crouched on the floor. "Why is it so?" He asked, amused.

The slave—what was his name again?-was terrified, his voice becoming a whisper. "..."

"What was that?" Yasphor asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"E-Emrys, my lord." His slave said fearfully.

Yasphor chuckled at this.

"M-my lord?" The slave dared to ask.

Yasphor smiled. "Slave...slave...slave. Please. Emrys is nothing compared to me. So many people believe these rumors...tsk. When did you become so influenced by other people, Slave?"

His slave tried to interrupt.

"He has not even begun to understand his power. One may have all the power in the world, but not be the most powerful person, Slave. Remember that."

His slave nodded immediately.

"Now we prepare." Yaspor said, raising a hand. The shackle around his Slave's ankle fell apart, and his Slave scrambled to his feet.

"Besides..." Yasphor said, a wicked smile appearing on his face. "...I have learned that Emrys may be...indisposed when we arrive. Permanently."

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**Oh...one more thing. **

**HahaHahaHahaHaha (etc)**

**I updated! (Kind of...) **

**Yeah, I know. Not my best chapter. But still...I updated! That's good, right? Guys?**


	4. Chapter 4

Merlin watched Gaius's retreating back, grimacing. Gaius had brought out Merlin's book of magic, and they had poured over it for what seemed a very long time-however, Merlin much preferred it to being alone. Everything took longer with nothing to do, and the lack of movement with his legs...all he could really do with them now was bend his knees-to be truthful, what remained of his legs was starting to ache from their unmoving position.

Standing there, Gaius now gone and only a few patrolling guards to accompany him, Merlin's gaze roamed around the courtyard yet again in search of something to do. He had already attempted to count each stone that made up the courtyard floor, but quickly dismissed the idea-he would accidentally recount a few, or skip another. Counting the pillars was no good, he'd done so already. Next time someone came, he would have to ask them for a book to read-he could always drop it before the stone reached his arms.

The stone. While Merlin understood what was happening to him, and he did feel a definite fear inside, it was somehow hard to believe that he was actually turning into it. There was no doubt that his lower legs were stone, of course, but he couldn't fully accept that it was true. Would he still say this right before a loss of consciousness? When would that occur-when his lungs were turned to stone, or his heart? But whenever his mind turned to those things he shook his head at once, as if physically trying to erase the thought from existence-it hurt to think about the matter. Nothing at all to do-that was something he could think about. Yes, Merlin reflected, he would soon go crazy like this-he would start to hear voices in his head, and why, he'd even respond to them-

**"Merlin..."**

It's started already, Merlin thought wildly, looking about him for the speaker. He relaxed only after realizing it was the Great Dragon speaking from under the ground. "Yes?" He responded warily. Would the Great Dragon know of his dilemma?

**"Merlin! Where have you been?"** The dragon snapped, and Merlin could picture him lashing his tail in annoyance. **"It is not like you, young warlock, to not present me with another problem of yours in such a stretch of time."**

"It has not been very long." Merlin shot back. In truth, it wasn't. It seemed like Arthur had returned with the healing flower only a few days before.

**"It is long in your terms. Now tell me...why you do not bless me with your being?"**

"I physically cannot." Merlin replied wearily, rubbing his eyes. It was not uncommon for him to sleep standing up, due to his work load, but without any support of walls or objects whatsoever around...he felt a little unsure of how he would fare.

**"Are you ill? Struck down by yet another poison? Who did you sacrifice yourself for this time, Merlin? Uther?" ** The dragon's voice grew scornful as he mentioned the king's name. **"Too exhausted to drag yourself out of bed in the evenings? Injured in a tussle with the tableware?"**

"I am being turned to stone." Merlin's tone would have been cold-if he was speaking. Irrational anger welled up in him at the mocking sound in the Great Dragon's voice-he did not need any more belittling. The dragon was silent for several moments.

**"Stone?"** He repeated, sounding surprised.

"By a Stone Circle. I pushed Arthur and Uther to the ground just before they stepped into it, and I got caught in the trap instead." Merlin explained cautiously, unsure of what he would receive in response.

There came an immense roar, so imposing and fierce that Merlin winced visibly. The following words of the dragon were clearly meant to sound harsh and displeased, as if to remind Merlin that while he could not see the dragon, he could still certainly understand its anger. **"And you did not think of magic to halt them instead of sacrifice? Young warlock, you must learn to think before you act!" **

"I know." Merlin thought miserably. "The idea only came to me after the job had been done." He grew desperate. "Surely as a dragon you know some possible means of a cure for me..."

The Great Dragon snarled. **"Stone Circles are bred of the Old Religion, and are nearly impossible to destroy, the most obvious solution being to deprive them of stone. But you are positioned on a kingdom built entirely of the substance, making it impossible to remove the stone from the setting."**

"So what else?" Merlin questioned, the small flicker of hope inside him dying.

**"Many creatures of magic have studied the matter, and the one thing they all agree on is the fact I have just given you. On everything else, they argue about, many claiming they have performed experiments on inferior species, and have found a satisfactory result..."**

"That was not an answer."

"**...A few have had the process reversed. Some almost instantaneously, but when questioned, none gave an answer. They either refused to give one, or had none to say. Scholars practiced in the magical arts—and those who have not researched their backgrounds, and found one thing in common. They all were saved during Spring."**

Merlin's heart sank. "It's Autumn at the moment. Does that mean I have no chance?"

The Great Dragon continued. **"Send Arthur on a quest to interrogate the survivors if you must. Tell him he can use any means of interrogation if necessary. Make haste, young warlock."**

Merlin felt the connection severed, and he sighed. Should he ask Arthur to risk his royal behind on a servant's behalf, after doing the exact same thing only a few days ago? Well, Merlin _did_ have to fufill his destiny... Making up his mind, Merlin called to a nearby guard and asked him to retrieve Gaius.

**::::::merlin::::::::**

Arthur lay on his bed, wanting very much to stay there the rest of his life and not have a care in the world. Merlin was essentially dying. Again. After saving his life—again. But this time there was nothing Arthur could do about it. Joking with his ex-manservant was all very well and good, but in honesty he couldn't ignore the certain depression he felt settling upon him. Even he had to admit that the servant had grown on him. Arthur rolled over onto his side. Maybe Merlin should get that sword after all. There came a knock on the door, but it took a few minutes for Arthur to find the energy to reply.

"Come in."

Gaius and Matt entered, the former looking grave while the latter excited, carrying parchment and quills without dropping one in his haste. "Sire," Gaius said. "It's about Merlin."

(M)

Arthur strode toward the center of the courtyard, the lethargy he had experienced earlier gone. Upon reaching his..._ex_-manservant, Matt beside him sat on the ground, balancing a piece of wood on his lap and smoothing out a piece of parchment on it. Gaius stood behind the temporary scribe while Arthur stared at Merlin in anticipation. "Merlin," he croaked, clearing his throat. "How did you come by this information?"

Merlin averted his gaze. "I don't remember."

Arthur snorted. "Of course you don't. Fine. We don't have time for this. Look, just tell me the names and whether they refused to surrender information or whether they couldn't recall what happened."

Merlin swallowed visibly, and tilted his head, as if he were listening to something. "Esmere," He said finally, "Of Mercia. He refused to tell what happened, and now lives in one of the kingdom's outer villages."

In the background, Arthur could hear Matt busily writing down Merlin's words. He himself grimaced—Mercia and Camelot hadn't exactly been on the best of terms.

"Wendy of Daira—a little girl who can't remember why she survived. She lives in the castle, a temporary serving girl while learning how to someday become a cook."

Arthur nodded, signaling for his man—_ex_ manservant to continue.

"Faulix, a druid. He lives in the mountains, in one of the several druid camps." Arthur paled. "And Cobal, a...wandering minstrel who was last sighted heading for Camelot. I don't know if he can't remember or refuses to talk."

Arthur waited, but Merlin offered nothing else. "Are there any others?" He prompted. Merlin shook his head.

"I don't think so—some are dead, some went into hiding years ago."

Arthur nodded resolutely. "As long as there's a chance this will work, I'll take it. Matt, can you ride a horse?"

Matt looked up from the parchment. "Uhh...yeah, I've rode before. Once or twice."

"Good. Go and get ready—we're leaving tonight for Cobal. Hopefully he travels on the main road, so we'll be able to catch him easily." Matt stood and handed over the sheet to Arthur before leaving.

Arthur turned to Merlin. "You know, I can't help but think you're enjoying this. I mean, you get to stay here at Camelot while I'm off risking my neck for you on a quest all over again. Maybe this is an elaborate plot or something—send the only heir of the throne away to get killed while leaving Camelot open to all sorts of attacks. Who knows? You could really be a sorcerer in disguise!"

Merlin stared at him, apparently rendered speechless. Arthur clapped him tentatively on the back. "It was just a joke Merlin. Where's your sense of humor?" Merlin's returning smile was weak. Arthur figured it was time to turn serious. "Merlin," he said. "I will save you. No matter what, you aren't going to die. Just—don't worry. Enjoy your extended vacation. And Merlin-" Here his eyes were drawn to the dried blood on Merlin's head. "I'm sorry, I truly am. For everything."

Merlin's smile grew broader. "Well, I'm certainly not. I have no regrets about saving your life over and over and over...isn't that the Lady Morgana and Gwen over there? I think they're waiting for you." Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur could see the two women standing between two pillars, and he muttered a hasty yes to Merlin before going over to greet them, hoping that his small speech would override his poor goodbye.

"Arthur." Morgana greeted him with a hug, and Arthur gratefully returned it. "I'm very proud of you." Arthur said nothing, content to remain in the position he was in. "Will you need any assistance other than Matt's on your journey?"

Arthur smirked. "I did survive the last quest for Merlin on my own, you know." Well, there was that shimmering orb he still had no explanation for, but nobody had to know about that now, did they?

"Of course." Morgana smiled. "Whatever you say."

**:::::::::merlin::::::::::merlin:::::::merlin:::::::** **Okay guys, I'm so sorry about the lack of update. I've been extremely busy with school and rehearsals, so I haven't had time to work on this story. That, and I was stricken ill with a _huge_ amount of writer's block regarding this story, and am still dissatisfied with the solution I came up with, and with the ending to this chapter—which seems abrupt. I hope you do get some amount of compensation from this, and that you're still interested in this story. But digressing, thanks so much for your previous praise of what you've read so far—30 reviews is a lot...to me, anyway. **


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